Concrete Staining!
 

I've been MIA for about a week now and haven't had a chance to really post...so, this is what I've been doing...

*disclaimer...I still need to go and mop the floors...been too busy dusting and haven't gotten a chance. *


Imagine a gray slab of concrete. Paint spatters all over it, carpet glue in large areas, black rings from a bucket.

First day is chalking and scoring the floor.

Second day is cleaning up (actually started late on first day) all the paint marks, glue marks (scraping involved with these two), buffing and scrubbing.

3rd day is the actual staining. You help tape up a splash guard around the walls (no matter that it only helped some and you end up having to repaint) You're trying to achieve a dark floor but also with some green in it. The guy you hired puts a coat of green on...you wait 4 hours and what normally takes 30 minutes to an hour to dry, it's still not dry where you had the linoleum. They go in with the mop buckets and force it to dry...here comes the second coat...same thing.

4th day they go in with the cola color that you've been wanting. They go to lunch, come back and buff the floors. The green stain that he used is wasted because it doesn't show through the floors, but that's okay.

Now, by hand, you go through and hand paint all of the borders. You get pissed at his hired help because that dumb a** is dripping the black stain everywhere and once it's there, it doesn't come up...not to mention he screwed up a tile the first day and the owner had to fix it.

You help the guys paint the borders...which takes 5 coats before it's the depth that you've been wanting. The hired help breaks your door knob off of your bedroom door.

Finally at 8 p.m. that night, the owner puts the final coat...polyurethane. The fumes are so strong you get light headed and about pass out...time to go outside.

You can't complain about the hired help since the owner went to school with your hubster and he charged half price of what he charges everyone else!

5th day you go into the house and put a coat of Stone Coat on the floors. It is a sealant that if the dogs pee on the floor, it shouldn't soak through.

6th day...AHHHH! A day of rest. You want to make sure the floor has had enough time to dry.

7th day...you go in to clean. You bust your a** to get this done with some help from the hubster. Gotta clean before you move furniture back in...UGH!!!!!!!!!

AND..............HERE IS THE FINAL PRODUCT.

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1st picture...taken of the hall way that leads out of the guest bedroom (where computer is located)

2nd picture is taken in dining room area. NOTICE THE SQUIGGLY LINE ON THE RIGHT! This shows up where your carpet glue was at. That's as dark as they can get it...not like their working iwith a brand new slab.

3rd picture is in the kitchen. Actually, some green did show up but the floor isn't this light or this color. Ignore scuffmarks made by the fridge.

4th & 5th picture is the living room. Notice the cracks that were in the foundation...I LOVE MY CRACKS!!!

Last picture is of my fireplace and you can see the floors and the contrast of colors.

5th & 6th pictures...

Wow I like it:)
I was going to stain my concrete floors in the exercise room but now that you explained it all.... I'm painting them:p :p

Whew, I'm exhausted just reading about the whole process. But, it does look nice. I like cracks and imperfections - I think it adds the ambience of the look. Great job. Now get to posting!!!

That looks really good.:thumbup:

Okay, seriously, it looks great!

The "tiles-look" is that from scoring???? Or am I missing the bigger picture?

I think it looks wonderful! The imperfections give it character. I wanted to try doing this, but I am not brave enough. We have carpet and linoleum to pull up, and I am worried about trying to clean all the glue off!

I looks lovely.

So the scoring was to make the small squares, so it looks like tile squares???

I've never seen that done, but it looks very nice.

It's gorgeous, Kimberley. You deserve a break today.:D

Looks nice
 

That looks really neat. Could you do that on an outside porch? Does it make the floor slippery?

That is gorgeous. You must be so proud

Your floor looks amazing and I know you will love it!!!

I love my stained concrete floors - we built on an 800 sq ft addition to the back of our house five years ago and we left the floor concrete and stained it ourselves. We were so lucky because it was "virgin" concrete without ever having carpet or anything on it - and it still was a lot of work - but not 1/4 of the work you did.

My hubby and I did it all ourselves - but we didn't score the concrete. I love the variation in color and I love my cracks too! :D It is so great!!! We have had it for five years and we should have put down a new coat of sealer about 3 years ago - but my hubby got sick and we just didn't have the time, energy or money to do it. I am so lucky on this one though, because the pee stains DO NOT show - even though they do soak in if not found in a timely manner. But they do not leave a stain at all!!!

My color is much the same as yours - and I do love love love it!!! Anyone thinking of doing this should seriously consider it. Yes, it is a lot of work on concrete that has had floor covering - but if you are building a new home or adding on - it is very inexpensive, if you do it yourself. And if you ever sell the home and the new/prospective owner doesn't like it - well you can just slap in carpet, etc!

Scoring is when they cut the concrete to look like tile. It does look a lot better in person than in pictures...I love them!

WOW that does look GREAT! Sounds like so much hard work though, but sure is worth it! :thumbup: ;)